Ampro
Ampro Industries, Inc. is an American ethnic hair care and cosmetics company based in Memphis, Tennessee. Ampro was founded in 1947. Its product lines include a wide range of styling and treatment products, specially formulated for ethnic consumers, including gels, shampoos, conditioners and polishers. The company’s original product line, PRO STYL gel, continues to be the number-one selling styling gel in the country. Ampro's 20 current brand names include Pro Styl, Clear Ice and Shine 'n Jam. Ampro's website can be found at http://www.Amprogel.com
The company's history began in 1947. Irvin Lansky, (no relation to Mayer Lansky) owned a dry goods store on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, and began to sell ethnic hair care products. Immediately seeing the potential in the lines, Lansky formed Vogue Distributing Company, a beauty supply product wholesaler. Lansky then expanded the enterprise with a Memphis retail location called Vogue Beauty and Barber Mart, and it was here that he began manufacturing his own ethnic hair care products. He developed a line called "Ampro," short for American Products, which is still manufactured today.[1] Ampro Industries' current manufacturing facility is a few miles away from the original shop on Beale Street in Memphis.[1]
Lansky died in April 2001. His daughter, Cheri Rudner, is Chairman of Ampro, and her husband Henry is the company's Chief Executive Officer.[1]
The company's products are sold through conventional channels (including health and beauty retailers such as Wal-Mart, Walgreen’s, Dollar General, Sally Beauty Supply, Kroger, Eckerd, CVS, Family Dollar and Rite Aid) as well as through a large network of individually owned regional beauty supply stores, both domestically and internationally.[2]
The company continues to launch new product lines, including Olive Oil Gel, Shine 'N Jam Silk Edges, Beez Wax and is becoming increasingly involved in African-American community causes such as the National African American Photographic Archive, which it founded.[3]
[edit] References
Amprogel.com==External links==
